Hello everyone! I’m really excited about Obsidian and its community. I’m a medical student preparing for 2nd and 3rd year classes this year, and I was wondering if some of you have taken notes on topics like Anatomy, Physiology, Pathophysiology, Histology, etc., in Obsidian and how do you manage creating, processing, linking notes and building your knowledge base, and if some of you have applied a Zettelkasten like system to do so.
Many thanks in advance!
Hi. I only just recently started moving my notes to Obsidian, but have taken some amount of notes in biological psychology and related fields. Most of the bulk of my notes are from plant taxonomy, where it feels much more natural and exciting to organize most of the notes into the very hierarchical system of botany. So I’ve tended to organize many of my other notes in a similar hierarchical fashion, ie. not zettelkasten. As long as I let the system evolve somewhat on it’s own accord, and don’t make that many categories before I start using or needing them, I find it quite stimulating to orient myself towards these different analytical levels (which a taxonomical hierarchy is, after all). Have you considered building your knowledge base taking a hint from the divisions that are already in place in the fields you’re working with? To take the most obvious example: Anatomy (assuming you mean Human anatomy) could be divided into the many systems of the body, from the respiratory, cardiovascular, endocrine to the sense organs, the muscles, bones and so on. We all learn differently, but there is something to be said about overview. Personally, I find that part of the work very enjoyable in it self and often stumble upon whole subfields I didn’t consider “part” of the field I was working in at the time. Just my five cents.
I realize now I was overthinking about it. I tend to try make a top-down structure first instead of making notes and, when need as you say, making these hierarchies. Thanks for your comment!